But negative freedom has consequences. When we think we’ve freed ourselves from our imagined burdens, we soon miss them. We feel the absence of government services; if our groceries are cheaper because they’re no longer inspected, they may also infect us with listeria. Or the groceries may be more expensive than ever because the immigrants and refugees who grew them, packed them, shipped them and put them on our supermarket shelves are now gone forever.
Sounds like another book for my list, at the top of which is currently Yuval Hariri’s “Nexus” (which is off to a fairly verbose start).
Snyder also addresses social media brain hacks that are eroding freedoms.
If I’d seen the Freedom House ranking of national freedom before, I’d forgotten about it. 
scores 83/100, ahead of 
and behind 
.
So I posted this on my “meme thread” but they suggested makes more sense here.
Just enjoy the badassery. And hope the ACT party chokes on a stick.
That is so powerful
This video has the minutes preceding the one you posted
Maori culture is warm, welcoming, I thoroughly enjoyed my few times as a guest.
Piss them off… and it’s another thing all together.
The Haka is one fearsome living tradition.
As you might or might not know there were a series of hakas performed in your own home town this summer. The Kiwi America’s Cup team brought a delegation of Maori for support and to row them out into Barcelona harbour on each competition day in a waka, a war canoe specifically carved for the occasion.
Only this week I received a letter from the local utilities company which informed me that their rates for electricity and gas will be lowered, starting 2025-01-01.
Since I pay for gas indirectly (ancillary costs) I don’t know yet what this means in Euros and Cents regarding the heating costs, but my electricity bill is projected to be €100 less next year. (I think that’s ~9% but I can’t be asked to dig out the last bill and check.)
Biden allows Ukraine to use US arms to strike inside Russia
https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-lifts-ban-ukraine-using-us-arms-strike-inside-russia-2024-11-17/
Wasn’t quite sure where to put this